System and method of modifying policy settings in an electronic device

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method of modifying policy settings in an electronic device. An embodiment includes a plurality of access stations, each capable of wirelessly transmitting across a geographic region. A mobile electronic device, capable of roaming between regions is operable to establish a wireless link with the access stations. The device is owned by an office which sets communication policies determining through which access stations mobile device can place voice calls. This policy is stored on an office server as a database and periodically transmitted to the device as the device makes contact with the office server over the internet. Hence, the device maintains a copy of this policy database. When placing a voice call, the device first determines which access station is serving the region it is located in and then determines whether it is allowed to place a call through that access station using its policy database.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A mobile device comprising:
 an interface configured to communicate between the mobile device and a plurality of access stations via a link defined in one or more IEEE 802.11 specifications in each of a plurality of geographic regions, each of the plurality of access stations having a wireless carrier identifier that identifies a wireless carrier operating the access station, and an access station identifier that uniquely identifies the access station; and, 
 a microcomputer connected to the interface and configured to:
 maintain a first policy comprising a list of wireless carrier identifiers; 
 receive the wireless carrier identifier and the access station identifier associated with an access station; and 
 restrict the interface from communicating with the access station in accordance with the first policy in response to determining that the communication with the access station is over an insecure link. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is further configured to determine whether the link is insecure based on the wireless carrier. 
     
     
       3. The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the first policy is designed to select, from a plurality of wireless carriers, a more secure wireless carrier over a wireless carrier that is less secure in comparison. 
     
     
       4. The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is further configured to maintain a second policy, and to select a wireless carrier using a combination of the first policy and the second policy. 
     
     
       5. The mobile device of  claim 4 , wherein the microcomputer is further configured to select from the plurality of wireless carriers which are the more secure carriers as determined by the first policy, a wireless carrier based on the second policy. 
     
     
       6. The mobile device of  claim 5 , wherein the second policy is designed to prefer selection of a home network over selection of a non-home network. 
     
     
       7. The mobile device of  claim 5 , wherein the selection of the wireless carrier based on the second policy is based on the wireless carrier identifiers. 
     
     
       8. The mobile device of  claim 7 , wherein the microcomputer is further configured to maintain a third policy that selects from the plurality of wireless carriers available from the first policy and the second policy, a wireless carrier based on wireless carrier identifiers. 
     
     
       9. The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the interface is further configured to communicate between the mobile device and at least one access station using a plurality of different services. 
     
     
       10. The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of different services include one or more of voice, emails, internet browsing and text messaging. 
     
     
       11. A communication system comprising at least one mobile device of  claim 1  and a server, wherein the server is configured to: decide the policy and transmit the policy to the at least one mobile device such that the server controls the communication. 
     
     
       12. A method comprising:
 at a mobile device comprising: an interface configured to communicate between the mobile device and a plurality of access stations via a link defined in one or more IEEE 802.11 specifications in each of a plurality of geographic regions, each of the plurality of access station having a wireless carrier identifier that identifies a wireless carrier operating the access station, and an access station identifier that uniquely identifies the access station; and a microcomputer connected to the interface,
 maintaining, using the microcomputer, a first policy comprising a list of wireless carrier identifiers; 
 receiving the wireless carrier identifier and the access station identifier associated with an access station; and 
 restricting, using the microcomputer, the interface from communicating with the access station in accordance with the first policy in response to determining that the communication with the access station is over an insecure link. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising determining whether the link is insecure based on the wireless carrier. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selecting based on the first policy, from a plurality of wireless carriers, a more secure wireless carrier over a wireless carrier that is less secure in comparison. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising maintaining a second policy, and selecting a wireless carrier using a combination of the first policy and the second policy. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selecting from the plurality of wireless carriers which are the more secure carriers as determined by the first policy, a wireless carrier based on the second policy. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second policy is designed to prefer selection of a home network over selection of a non-home network. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the interface is further configured to communicate between the mobile device and at least one access station using a plurality of different services. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of different services include one or more of voice, emails, internet browsing and text messaging. 
     
     
       20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein execution of the computer program is for:
 at a mobile device comprising: an interface configured to communicate between the mobile device and a plurality of access stations via a link defined in one or more IEEE 802.11 specifications in each of a plurality of geographic regions, each of the plurality of access station having a wireless carrier identifier that identifies a wireless carrier operating the access station, and an access station identifier that uniquely identifies the access station; and a microcomputer connected to the interface,
 maintaining, using the microcomputer, a first policy comprising a list of wireless carrier identifiers; 
 receiving the wireless carrier identifier and the access station identifier associated with an access station; and 
 
 
       restricting, using the microcomputer, the interface from communicating with the access station in accordance with the first policy in response to determining that the communication with the access station is over an insecure link.